Simon Wood adding the finishing touches to the cranberry and orange cheesecake shots

Manchester is keeping things exciting with an ever-changing restaurant scene that includes maverick chefs, sky high bars and footballers turned foodies. The city may not have yet gained a Michelin star but they hope to do it at Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange hotel when it opens its Man Who Fell to Earth restaurant in the autumn with Michael O’Hare at the helm.

An unconventional chef, O’Hare has created a menu of first rate cuisine at The Rabbit in the Moon at the Urbis (the Football Museum building) and has the critics raving about his unusual tasting menus.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola the Manchester City manager and colleagues Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano have teamed up with Michelin-starred Catalan chef Paco Perez and the Fazenda restaurant group to open Tast this summer.

Dining out is the new clubbing and Manchester’s dining and drinking culture has made it one of the most exciting cities in the UK. So what are you waiting for? Climb into your smart casual gear and head for one of the latest dining hotspots in the city.

Due to open this summer on King Street, this is an authentic celebration of Catalan food and wine and is set to bring worldwide interest to the growing links between Manchester and Catalonia, as it harnesses the talent of multi-Michelin star chef Paco Perez.

Paco is the renowned international patron-chef of two Michelin 2* restaurants - Miramar, in Llançà, (Girona) and Enoteca at the Arts Hotel in Barcelona, a city where he has six restaurants in all. He is also behind the Michelin 1* Restaurant Cinc at the Hotel Das Stue in Berlin. Pep Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano are among the investors in the restaurant. Acting in a personal capacity the investors have teamed up with the independent Fazenda group, whose directors’ passion for South American cuisine has made their award-winning ‘rodizio’ grilled meat restaurants in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester (and recent Edinburgh opening) a great popular success.

The Man Who Fell to Earth is opening in the autumn at Gary Neville’s new Stock Exchange Hotel. We are told: ‘It will be a hotel and culinary experience like no other, offering unparalelled luxury in timeless and stylish surroundings, accompanied by meticulous levels of service.’ It will feature a fine dining restaurant, 41 bedrooms and suites, a residents’ lounge and cocktail bar, as well as private dining in the wine cellars for up to 100 people.

Meanwhile The Rabbit in The Moon is the place to head to now for a taste of Michael O’Hare’s bold flavours. Dine on set dishes that include langoustine toast, soy and ginger glazed pork cheek, unagi bao, native lobster with Thai flavours and fillet of beef with salt and pepper prawn.

Try to get a table near the window and take in those impressive views of the city from the 19th floor. They almost steal the show but Chef Director Aiden Byrne, formerly of Manchester House, pleases the dining cognoscenti with his modern British cuisine that includes a Manchester tart with a twist.

Canal Street is now home to Mr White’s English Chophouse, which as the name suggests is all about traditional British fayre but here’s the surprise, there are French favourites here too.

This is a signature of the style of the legend Marco Pierre White who has added 2 Canal Street to his portfolio. The menu is heavy on the meat and includes everything from 35 day aged Rib Eye to confit duck leg à la Parisian.